On Tuesday's show: We remember former Houston health authority Dr. David Persse, who has passed away at age 66.

And we get an update on the latest step toward a proposed desalination plant in Galveston.

Also this hour: Ahead of Stand Down Houston, an event on Oct. 2 promoting education, career, home ownership, and other resources for veterans, we discuss benefits available to veterans in Greater Houston and how to access them.

Then, we talk with Katya Suvorova, who grew up here in Houston, and is the author of the new book Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From the Child of a Mail-Order Bride.

And we preview this weekend's Festival Chicano at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

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On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: We learn how the Trinity River has shaped the politics, economy, and environment of Texas and Houston from Scot McFarlane, author of The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity.

And two local arts groups celebrate the works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Ayad Akhtar with events in the coming days. Akhtar will hold a reading on Oct. 5 of his latest novel, The Radiance, with Inprint Houston. And Houston's Shunya Theatre is staging a production of Disgraced, the play that won Akhtar the Pulitzer Prize for drama. We learn about both.

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On Thursday's show: Chris Brown, who serves as Mayor John Whitmire’s financial integrity director, has admitted to working 15-hour weeks for a $127,000 salary but defended his work at a tense city council meeting. Houston Public Media's Dominic Anthony Walsh tells us what happened and updates us on the latest developments from City Hall.

Also this hour: A federal judge has ruled that Texas has to accelerate its timeline to install air conditioning in all state prisons by the end of 2029. The judge seemed to suggest the state was slow-playing the installation, which may fit an attitude about prison conditions built around the notion that people in prison are being punished not by doing time, but how they do that time. We discuss that and other observations about the ethics surrounding Texas prisons.

Then, since we Houstonians tend to do a lot of driving and gas prices are so high these days, keeping our cars in peak condition is more important than ever. In that spirit, we welcome your long-term car care questions for Jeremy Robertson of Christian Brothers Automotive.

And we talk with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, who’s also a musician. He and his band The Hi-Seas will perform Friday night at the Continental Club.

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